Brisbane

reeling off our adventure in the "Backpacker" accommodation, okay so our first (well second really but first on our own) wasn't so great an idea.   Hey, we had fun anyway at the place and had each other...need I say more....okay moving on...

We arrived Brisbane bleary eyed and completely dazed at around 8 somthing am....how did this happen?  who knows the mysteries of air travel and schedules booking shit at ungodly hours in the morning.   Who knew the sun came up before 12 noon????  tis a mystery.

anyhoo, got to the airtrain into Brisbane and booked passage (meanwhile at airport furiously charging cellphones which had miraculously died on us...how does it happen a $300+ iphone that goes dead in minutes!  God love the chinese! They sell us crap we can't live without and we happily put up with the crap aspect!!   Capitalism! bravo!

$15.50 passage per person from bne airport to south brisbane train station.   We weren't due to meet M&D until 1-2pm so thankfully (and probably more often than not) there were consistent delays to the transport and we sat for quite awhile on board....however, good opportunity for "re rest".

deboarded and walked to QAG (queens art gallery)...by the way was quite breezy and chilly here.. temperature dropped considerably from Cairns/  WE later found that there was a cold front to hit the entire coast and parts of sydney (blue mtns) had snow which they have not had in a boodle of years).   well at least they consider the notion of climate change and don't bury their heads in the sand like in US ofA

found some interesting work in the museum (we went to drop our bags at bag check-- a convenient and free way to dispose of your luggage for an afternooon)   But the art was intriguing.  Myra found a group of statuary titled "monkey musicians" she had bought in LOuisiana years and years ago and probably for next to nothign.  here they were in this museum with a german mfr title "Meissen Mfr" c. 1850 and after JJ kaendler.   who knows we may have struck gold! Yippee I ya MFER!

well left the museum and followed the map laid out by our Mate david over the pedestrian bridge and into the heart of downtown.  Did I mention it was Freakin cold?   But this city is well laid out and planned.   Cotter should study this town how they did things as it is really a masterpiece.   Very heavily catered to pedestrians and bicyclists with special lanes and accoms for both.    The city is clean and neat and a pleasure to walk through (again if you are not freezing your yayas)

found M&Ds favorite sushi place or what we thought was their favorite.   bought heaps of sushi rolls and ate ours on the street.  Delicious... contact me for details where it is but let me say it is some of THE BEST sushi takeout I have ever had ANYWHERE.  And I have had sushi takeout!!
Well we ventured back over the 2nd pedestrian bridge down river a quite far walk much farther than anticipated.    Crossing over were mesmerized by "South Bank" area.   It is completely redone as an oasis for city dwellers,   lanes and lanes of walking paths, illuminated and flowered.  You are amazed to come upon an actual beach with sand, lifeguards and the accoutrement of an actual ocean beach.   It is amazing to be at the beach looking at the river and city of Brisbane in the foreground.    There is an amphitheatre where they hold some amazing concerts and events on a regular basis...none today oh well.

met M&D parked out front QAG and shared sushi and stories of our trip thus far, gave good hugs and kisses and set out for our trip to BYRON BAY.    About a 2 hour drive, margery did a yeomans job driving with the rest of us chirping away incessently in her ear... God I love that woman....must be why she is my best friend in the world...she is the greatest!!

read on about byron...have you heard about our eagle sighting???   stay tuned...